Apparatus for injecting material under pressure in a well



March 26, 1957 APPARATUS FOR INJECTING MATERIAL UNDER PRESSURE IN A WELL F. N. wlsE 2,786,533

-Filed June 12. 1953 llllll//l INVENTOR. Fred N. Wi se,

United States Patent() APPARATUS FOR INJECTING MATERIAL UNDER PRESSURE 1N A WELL Fred N. Wise, Houston, Tex., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Esso Research and. Engineering Company, Elizabeth, N. J., va corporation of Delaware Application June 12, 1953, Serial No. 361,162

3 Claims. (Cl. M6-120) ,The present invention is directed to apparatus for use in a well casing for spotting material. More particularly, the invention is directed to apparatus for spotting material which will fiow under pressure. in its more specific aspects, the invention is directed to apparatus for injecting fluid cement and liquids into a well.

The present invention may be briey described as apparatus for use in a well casing which comprises a retrievable squeezing packer adapted to be connected to a 4pipe string. The packer has a normally open internal passageway for iiow of fluids through the -passageway from above the packer to below the packer and vice versa. The packer has a wash pipe connected thereto, the wash pipe being constructed in two sections between which is arranged a pressure-tight telescoping joint, such as a splined sleeve joint. The telescopic joint allows the .packer and .the tir-st section to be moved relative to the second section, The second section of the wash pipe maybe' connected to a set shoe which is adapted to be connected to the casing or to a blank liner.

The invention is useful for injecting uids, such as liquids -or slurries, vsuch as fluid cement, into a well. The method of employing the invention .comprises introducing the fluid into a particular location in the well andthen subjecting the fluid to pressure applied through the pipe string by means lof which the fluid or slurry is spotted ,in the Well. Thereafter, pressure is exerted on the fluid or slurry 'through the pipe string to squeeze 4the liuid into `a subsurface earth formation; thereafter the .residual vor Iexcess tluid may be removed from the well by circulation ,down the pipe string and then up through the annulus above the apparatus of the present invention.

The invention thus includes apparatus whereby .a liquid material is placed in a predetermined point in a well by arranging a body of the material inthe well. The material has pressureirnposed on it along a first path of .tow remote from the walls of the well which causes the liquid material, at least in part, to flow along a second path of low to the predetermined point. Any remaining liquid-'material is then removed from the well along ,a third path of ilow of which at least a portion is separate from .the first path of ow.

The pressent invention will be more full-y described by reference to th-e drawing in which Fig. 1 shows an arrangement of the apparatus in a well;

Fig. 2 is av detail of the apparatus of Fig. 1 -apart'from the well;

Pig. 3 is a sectional View of the telescopingiointof Fig- 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the releasing-assembly of VFig. 2; and

2,786,533 Patented Mar. 26 1957 ice the .open hole 13 below the casing seat 12, and it is desired to cement the liner 14 in the open hole 13. The apparatus of the ypresent invention is then arranged in the wellby lowering on a pipe or a run-in string 15 which is suitably a tubing string, the apparatus being connected by means of a pipe joint 16 of the conventional type. Connected to the pipe joint 16 is a hollow mandrel 17 on which is arranged a packing assembly generally indicated by the numeral 1S. The packing assembly is provided with a plurality of slips 19 and a swab cup or sealing cup 20. The lower end of the packer has a releasable coupling means 21 which is connected to the upper end 22 of a wash pipe generally indicated by the numeral 23. The lower end 24 of the wash pipe 23 has attached` to it a set shoe 25 which threadably engages with mating threads 26 with the vlower end 27 of the blank liner 14.

Arranged intermediate the sections 22 and 24 of the wash pipe 23 is a telescoping joint 28 which suitably may be a splined sleeve pressure-tight joint as shown in Fig. 3 and includes .a shoulder 23a within the telescoping joint aud .a sealing means 28a and a spline 2817 to allow movement oi' the section 22 and the packer 13 along with the string 15 relative to section 24 of the wash pipe 23.

if desired, the space between the open hole 13 and the blank .liner 14 adjacent the upper end thereof may be packed oit with a suitable packer indicated generally by the numeral 29 and mounted on liner 14 as it is assembled to -be run in. This packer may be set by a suitable packer setting tool generally indicated by the numeral Si? of the conventional type such as described in the Composite Catalogue, 1951 Edition, page 4834. Setting tool 3G has provided thereon two outwardly spring biased members 30a so that when the tool 30 is pulled up above shoulder 31 of line 14 as shown in Fig. 1 they will, on downward movement of tubing 15, engage with the shoulder'. Likewise, the packer 29 may be of the conventional type such as described in the Composite Catalogue, supra.

The set shoe 25 may also be a conventional set shoe as described in the Composite Catalogue, supra, at page 4834, and may include va spherical seating member 25a normally biased upwardly against the seat 25b by a spring 25C.

Referring now to Fig. 2 where identical numerals will be employed to designate identical parts as in Fig. l, it will be seen that the connection 16 is attached by mating threads 49 to the mandrel 17. The mandrel 17 has an internal passageway i1 to allow fluid communication .between the string 15 and the wash pipe 25, the lower end ot the mandrel i7 being connected to the wash pipe 23 by pipe connection 42 by mating threads d3. The

Vhollow mandrel 17 is provided with an internal conduit 44 which serves as a bypass passageway which will be described hereinafter in more detail. The conduit 4d has at least a rst port 4S and at least a second port 46. The first port 45 is spatially removed from a slidable sleeve 47 mounted on the mandrel i7 and the second port 46 is spatially removed from the slidable sleeve 47. Mounted or carried by the slidable sleeve 47 are a pinrality of friction blocks 48 of conventional type, such as described in the Composite Catalogue, supra, at page 1834. Also, mounted on the slidabie sleeve t7 are a `plurality of pressure operated slips i9 which are designed releasably attached to the mandrel 17 by releasable ceupling means. generally indicated bythe numeral 50. Thereleasable coupling means 50 comprises two internally threaded ring halves Sl-\-'5l disposed within an .annulary` I recess in sleeve 47 and biased inwardly by a spring such as 52. The ring halves are held against rotation by keys 52b which are positioned on the sleeve 47 and project between the two halves as shown in Fig. 4. The threads Of ring halves Sit- 51 lengage with threads 55 of mandrel 17 in such a manner that the mandrel 17 has to be rotated to be released from the ring halves 51-51 but can, by means of flexible spring 52, be slipped back in place by pulling up on the mandrel.

The slidable sleeve 4.7 is sealed against the mandrel i7 by means of a packing member, such as chevron packing 53, arranged above the slips 49 and a chevron packing 54 arranged below the slips 49.

rthe present invention may be used in any operation where a liquid is to be spotted in a well bore under pressure applied through the pipe by way of which it is run through the well. The liquid may remain liquid and may be acid, oil or water, or it may solidify by chemical, thermal and other reactions. 'hus, the liquid may be a slurry of cement or it may be a thermo-plastic material and the like.

One of the advantages of the present invention is that a fluid material, such as has been described, and equipment, such as the blank liner and the cement set shoe, may be placed in a well and subjected to pressure in one continuous operation without requiring a round trip where pipe is run into and taken out of the hole and without imposition of excessive pressures on the casing which might exceed the safe working pressure of the casing. Thus, by locating a packer adjacent the bottom of the well and imposing pressure on the iiuid to be spotted, the casing in that area has the drilling iiuid, cement, and the wall of the well to bael; up and protect the casing, allowing imposition of a higher pressure safely than otherwise without backing.

The device of the present invention has particular use in cementing a blank liner in a well which has an open hole below the casing. Thus, the present invention allows application of normal squeeze pressure as in a squeeze operation with regular` cement retainer. This cannot be done with conventional liner setting material because ot' the necessity tot' a braden-head squeeze and attendant limitations en internal pressure inside the casing which might rupture the easing.

The apparatus ol the present invention may be operated in the following manner:

A liner, such as ld, is made up in a regular manner. Thereafter the wash pipe assembly 23 with a telescopic joint 23 is attached as has been described to a packer generally indicated as it and to the liner lli and the total assembly run into the well on the run-in string l5, with the setting tool 3b in position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l. The apparatus is run into the well with the sleeve 47 held against relative movement with respect to the mandrel i7, the wash pipe being attached to the set shoe 25 which, in turn, is attached to the liner 14. When the apparatus has been run to the bottom of the well, circulation is established by owing duid down through the passageway 4l, then upwardly through the annulus A through the port 46 and conduit e and outwardly through port d5 and up the hole. The pipe string 1S is then picked up at the well head to take out the slack in the telescoping joint 28 and place the dogs 30a of setting tool 3u above the annular shoulder 3i of liner 14. Cement is then pumped to the bottom of the well through the pipe string and through the passageway il down the wash pipe 23 and between the open hole 13 and the blank liner 14. The pipe string 15 is then rotated to the right to disengage the releasing assembly 5G by means of the ratchet thread 51 to release the sleeve 47. This rotation also disengages the pipe 24 from the set shoe 2S. The pipe 15 is then lowered to move the mandrel 17 relative to the sleeve 47. The friction blocks 48 hold the sleeve 47 into engagement with the wall of the casing The friction blocks 48 are designed to hold the sleeve 47 into engagement with the wall of the casing 11 against rotational movement but does not resist lowering of the tool into the well. Pressure exerted from belowr the packer from the well head through the run in string l5 and the passageway 4i by port 46 and port 45 against slips 1?* causes the slips to become engaged with the walls of the well. This is accomplished by the mandrel 17 moving with respect to the sleeve 47 to bring the port 45 into operative relationship with the slips 19. Pressure exerted from below the sealing cup 2l) through the port i5 then acts on the diaphragm 19a and moves the slips i9 outwardly into engagement with the wall of the casing. The squeeze is then conducted by the pressure exerted down through the passageway 41 from the well head.

`.Veight is then applied on the pipe string 15 and thence to shoulder 3l to collapse the packer 29. The pipe i5 is picked up at the well head to clear the setting tool 3@ and re-engage releasable coupling means 50 to hold the sleeve d'7 against relative movement with respect to the mandrel l?. Any excess cement remaining in the well may then be reversed out by reverse circulation down through passageway di and up through the annulus A and then through passageway 45 into internal conduit 44 and again into the annulus A by port 45. Thereafter the apparatus may be retrieved from the hole by pick up on the pipe string.

The apparatus may also be used in other operations with other liner packers such as packer 29, which has been described in some detail and which are connected to the run in string by other means. These operations are similar to those already described and need not be described in more detail since such operations are well known.

Likewise, the loperations may be used without a liner packer with the exception that, under these circumstances, the tool would be rotated to the right to disengage the means connecting the run in string to the liner and thereafter the telescoping joint 28 would be picked up. Cement would then be placed behind the liner as has been described. The tool is then rotated to the right to disengage the releasing assembly 50 and the pipe 15 is lowered to close the port 45. Pressure is exerted through the passageway 4l to cause the squeeze and thereafter the `back pressure valve 25a is closed. The pipe is picked up to clear the connecting means lfor the liner and re-engage the releasing assembly 50. The excess cement is then reverse circulated out of the hole as has been described and the pipe pulled out of the hole by conventional means.

It will be seen from the foregoing description taken with the drawing that l have described an improved apparatus for conducting cementing and the like operations in which a fluid material may be spotted in a hole and pressure applied on same in excess of the pressure which may be normally sustained by the casing.

IThe nature and objects of the present invention having been completely described and illustrated, what I wish to claim as new and useful and to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A retrievable squeeze packer adapted to be attached to a pipe string for use in a well casing in squeeze operations without imposition of excessive pressures on the casing which comprises, in combination, a hollow mandrel, a slidable sleeve arranged on said mandrel, means arranged in said sleeve and operably connected to said hollow mandrel for releasably holding said hollow mandrel against slidable movement within said sleeve, an internal conduit arranged in said mandrel having a rst port spatially removed from the first end of said sleeve and a second port spatially removed from the second end of said sleeve when said mandrel is releasably held on said sleeve, at least one fluid pressure operated slip member arranged in said sleeve and extensible outwardly of said sleeve for releasably attaching said packer to the wall of said casing, a downwardly facing sealing cup arranged on the outer periphery of said sleeve for sealing between said packer and the Wall of said casing, means on said sleeve for holding said sleeve against rotational movement in respect to said casing, sealing means arranged in said sleeve above and below said pressure operated slip member for sealing between said sleeve and said mandrel whereby said slip member is operable by uid pressure below said sealing cup upon movement of said lirst port into position between said sealing means and adjacent said pressure operated slip.

2. A retrievable squeeze packer adapted to be attached to a pipe string for use in a well casing in squeezing operations without imposition of excessive pressures on the casing which comprises, in combination, a hollow mandrel, a sleeve arranged on said hollow mandrel, means arranged in said sleeve and operably connected to said mandrel for releasably holding said hollow mandrel against slidable movement within said sleeve, an internal conduit arranged in said mandrel having a first port spatially removed from a first end of said sleeve and a second port spatially removed from a second end `of said sleeve when said mandrel is releasably held in said sleeve, a plurality of uid pressure operated slip members arranged in said sleeve and extensible 4outwardly of said sleeve for releasably attaching said packer to the wall of said casing, a plurality of friction blocks arranged on said sleeve for engaging said packer with the wall of said casing against rotational movement, a downwardly facing sealing cup on said sleeve for sealing between said packer and the wall of said casing, sealing means carried by said sleeve above and below said pressure operated slip members for sealing between said sleeve and said mandrel whereby said slip members are operable by pressure imposed below said downwardly facing sealing cup upon movement of said rst port into said sleeve and into position between said sealing means and adjacent said pressure operated slips.

3. A retrievable squeeze packer adapted to be attached to a pipe string for use in a well casing for squeezing operations without imposing excessive pressures on the casing which comprises, in combination, a hollow mandrel, a sleeve arranged on said hollow mandrel, means arranged in said sleeve and operably connected to said mandrel for releasably holding said mandrel against slid- 'able movement in said sleeve, an internal conduit arranged in said mandrel having a first port spatially removed from a first end of said sleeve and a second port spatially removed from a second end of said sleeve when said mandrel is releasably held on said sleeve, a plurality of fluid pressure operated slips arranged in said sleeve and projecting outwardly of said sleeve for releasably attaching said packer to the wall of said casing, sealing means disposed within said sleeve above and below said slips and sealingly engaging said mandrel and said sleeve adjacent said slips, whereby said slips are pressure operated to engage the wall of said casing upon movement of said first port into said sleeve between said sealing means and adjacent said slip members, a plurality of friction blocks arranged about the outer periphery of said sleeve for engaging said packer with the wall of said casing against rotational movement, and a downwardly facing sealing cup on said sleeve for sealing between said packer and the wall of said casing.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,315,931 Burt et al. Apr. 6, 1943 2,327,092 Botkin Aug. 17, 1943 2,370,832 Baker Mar. 6, 1945 2,585,706 Ware Feb. 12, 1952 

